Taxpayer-funded materials urge youth to join radical climate groups, promote outdated and anti-scientific claims 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) last week sent letters to the Administrators of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) demanding answers regarding the agencies’ alarmist educational materials designed to manufacture support for the Biden-Harris administration’s radical environmental policies.

In his letters to the agencies, Sen. Cruz highlights how the Biden-Harris administration is contributing to—and exploiting—the growing epidemic of “climate anxiety.” Sen. Cruz writes:

“The Biden-Harris administration marked Earth Day this year by touting its efforts to combat ‘the climate crisis,’ including its quixotic quest for net-zero emissions, the formation of a multi-billion-dollar American Climate Corps, and the restriction of federal oil and gas leases. Young people are absorbing the rhetoric; they report high levels of anxiety about climate change and are adapting their behavior in radical ways, including by foregoing children. Is this anxiety based on science or sensationalism? The evidence points to the latter. […]”

“The last few years have seen a dramatic increase in what the American Psychological Association dubs ‘eco-anxiety,’ i.e., a ‘chronic fear of environmental doom.’ […]”

“It is natural to feel some stress about important issues, but when it comes to climate change, a level-headed approach grounded in scientific inquiry—not in fearful adherence to ‘the science’ —is needed. The government has a responsibility to present scientific evidence objectively—to inform, rather than persuade. When it instead incites panic by selectively presenting propaganda that masquerades as scientific data, eco-anxiety follows. And when it offers ready-made programs to channel anxiety into activism, it looks like that was the goal all along. […]” 

“Right on cue, the Biden-Harris administration is now providing outlets for the climate anxiety it has stoked. Explaining that ‘[y]outh engagement in environmental action has been shown to mitigate climate anxiety,’ NOAA launched the Young Changemakers Fellowship for students looking to ‘work collectively’ on environmental projects like ‘climate justice,’ including by ‘increasing awareness’ and ‘push[ing] for systemic change.’ The administration also introduced the American Climate Corps (ACC) to ‘mobilize more than 20,000 Americans in the clean energy and climate resilience sectors.’ President Biden recently pledged to expand the ACC to triple the number of taxpayer-funded political activists working ‘at the forefront of our clean energy future.’ He has sought additional funding at a time when the Inflation Reduction Act, which supports the ACC, has already ‘delivered a massive windfall to a small group of Democratic donors.’”

In his letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Sen. Cruz explains how NASA’s Climate Kids website is fueling youth anxiety with interactive modules that depict misleading “doomsday” scenarios:

“NASA is fueling youth climate anxiety by pushing alarmism under the guise of science. For instance, NASA’s Climate Kids website features a graphic depicting portions of the country—including the cities of New Orleans and Miami—that will sink under water if the glacial ice covering Greenland melts. The imagery is reminiscent of former vice president Al Gore’s prophecy that Manhattan would soon be underwater from melting polar ice. NASA conveniently fails to inform children that even at today’s estimated rate of sea-level rise, such a scenario would not occur for hundreds of years (if ever).”

“NASA similarly invites kids visiting its website to explore a ‘Climate Time Machine’ for sea level—which omits dates—to ‘[s]ee into the past and ahead to the future’ and ask ‘[w]hat parts of the world will be under water as sea level rises, inch by inch, foot by foot?’ After that, they can watch an episode of ‘Climate Tales,’ featuring a polar bear whose habitat has been destroyed by human-caused global warming. ‘Global warming will be the biggest problem of all,’ NASA separately reiterates, but there is ‘still time’ to ‘turn away from fossil fuels.’ Youth can ‘help the planet’ by taking action ‘to help slow down climate change.’ ‘Maybe we should all think about down-sizing to a tiny house,’ the agency says, or recognize that ‘you don’t really need a lawn at all.’”

In his letter to NOAA Administrator Richard Spinrad, Sen. Cruz points out that NOAA’s materials for children are outdated and seek to normalize climate anxiety among youth. Sen Cruz also highlights how NOAA’s materials direct children to radical-leftist political organizations like the Extinction Rebellion and Sunrise Movement:

“NOAA is fueling youth climate anxiety by pushing alarmism under the guise of science. This May, for instance, NOAA used its social media to promote Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science, an outdated, 15-year-old interagency guide for teaching students about climate change. This guide was initially supposed to be updated last year to incorporate input from ‘environmental justice communities,’ including ‘personal narrative[s]’ and ‘lived experience[s].’ […]”

“One part of the Climate Literacy-based curriculum on Climate.gov is a video titled ‘Weather Girl Goes Rogue,’ which ‘suggests what might happen if a weather forecaster reported the weather in the context of climate change.’ In the video, a meteorologist reporting on melting polar ice caps describes ‘an inescapable death spiral.’ Citing research, she forecasts a summer with no ice in the Arctic Ocean within 10 years. (The video was released in 2012.) According to NOAA’s website, ‘The scientific statements [in the video] are consistent with the consensus view,’ and while ‘some of the details (sea ice extent, current average temperature) have changed’ since 2012, ‘the message remains valid.’”

“More recent Climate.gov materials employ a therapeutic approach that normalizes climate anxiety and redirects it toward activism on behalf of radical environmentalists. One ‘climate mental health’ lesson has teachers ‘[s]et up a safe space’ to ‘[f]acilitate a Group Reflection around healing and coping.’ A ‘Climate Emotions Wheel’ activity based on the work of a Finnish ‘eco-theologian’ ‘allow[s] students to navigate their emotions before and after engaging in climate action.’”

“NOAA’s partner organization, CLEAN, offers ‘climate mental health’ resources for teachers, who are encouraged to practice ‘self-care,’ ‘trust feelings,’ and ‘include other ways of knowing’ beyond ‘Western scientific approaches,’ always remaining ‘aware of “settler privilege.”’ Crucially, ‘[t]he goal is not to eliminate negative emotions,’ because ‘those who experience negative emotions about climate change are more likely to engage in climate action.’ Rather, teachers should ‘[e]ncourage youth to work through their grief through collective action,’ always asking, ‘How can they use these feelings to facilitate action?’ CLEAN’s ‘overarching guiding principle’ for teaching about climate is to ensure students can ‘take action to reduce climate change and its impacts,’ which are apparently ‘intersectional.’ Youth should attempt to influence policy by joining far-left political groups like Extinction Rebellion and Sunrise Movement.”

Sen. Cruz requests documents and communications regarding the effect of these materials on youth anxiety and activism, including with radical environmentalist organizations, as well as information on how NASA and NOAA ensure their curricula are accurate and unbiased.                    

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